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Province ends its wastewater surveillance program, northern and rural communities might now be left out

The previous initiative by the federal government only operates four testing sites in Ontario, and all of them are located in the GTA, while the Ontario program gathers surveillance at 58 sites, covering seven regions of the country, including northern Ontario. With the cancelling of the funds, it is unclear if northern Ontario will simply be left out.

Published Jul 31, 2024 at 8:19pm

Barbara Patrocinio

Province ends its wastewater surveillance program, northern and rural communities might now be left out

Minister Sylvia Jones speaking at a press conference at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, this Wednesday. (QP Briefing / Barbara Patrocinio)

Ontario's Wastewater Surveillance Initiative came to a sudden end this week, two months before its current budget runs out.

The program, which started as a COVID-19 surveillance measure, has also been used to track mpox, RSV, flu, and other spreadable diseases.

A note at Public health Ontario’s website says that August 1 will be the final update to the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance in Ontario report due to the wind down of the provincial program.

Province ends its wastewater surveillance program, northern and rural communities might now be left out

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